Linux News: Portals

Microsoft Scrapes Years of Mold Off MSN Portal
November 04, 2009

White space replaces the sky-blue color scheme in MSN.com's new redesign, which Microsoft began previewing Wednesday before it becomes an official re-launch sometime in early 2010. Content sections are streamlined down to five top-of-page links: news, entertainment, sports, money, lifestyle and "more."

Yahoo Mounts Pricey Ad Blitz to Get More Respect
September 23, 2009

Yahoo believes a lot of its good work has been overlooked by investors and the media so it's spending more than $100 million to get the word out to consumers directly. The money is going toward the Internet company's most expensive marketing campaign since Stanford University graduate students Jerry Yang and David Filo started Yahoo's Web site 15 years ago.

No End in Sight to Google Books Saga
September 08, 2009

Google has proposed modifying its proposed digital books deal with publishers and authors in an effort to tamp down growing opposition to the project. The changes would limit the number of out-of-print books it places online. Industry groups were given a venue to complain about the proposed agreement at a hearing sponsored by the European Commission on Monday.

Yahoo Goes DIY With Redesigned Homepage
July 21, 2009

Third-party applications and customization features take center stage on Yahoo's new homepage as the company rolled out the beta version of its redesign for U.S. users Tuesday. Actually, "center stage" isn't quite accurate; the long list of colorful icons for Facebook, MySpace, eBay and HotJobs, along with Yahoo's homegrown services like Mail and Messenger, can be found on left-hand side of the new home page.

Time Warner Unburdens Itself of AOL
May 28, 2009

Time Warner is officially releasing AOL from its parentage. A year after announcing its intention to separate from the struggling unit, Time Warner said Thursday the time had come. The company, which owns 95 percent of AOL, will buy out the 5 percent stake that Google owns for an undisclosed amount.

Yahoo Wilts in Q1, Bartz's Honeymoon Nears End
April 22, 2009

Yahoo announced Wednesday that first-quarter earnings fell by nearly 80 percent and that it will cut 675 jobs as CEO Carol Bartz struggles to revive the ailing Internet company. The news was not generally jeered by investors, however. Between opening time Tuesday, when they stood at $13.94, and mid-day Wednesday, when they stood at $14.88, Yahoo shares put on 94 cents, or 6.7 percent.

Could Google Be the Most Dangerous Company in the World?
April 13, 2009

Last week, I wrote about the 3rd Rebirth of Computing. This change will lead to the potential for Google to be vastly more powerful than any company in the history of the world. Given the historical patterns associated with companies that get even a fraction of this power, current trends are frightening.

AP Throws Down Gauntlet to Online News Aggregators
April 07, 2009

Is the Associated Press trying to shoehorn a 21st-century technology into a 20th-century business model? Or is it merely trying to protect content that allows Google and others to rake in money while it is left holding the lost-revenue bag? The answers to those questions may end up coming from a courtroom.

Armstrong Leaves Google Mansion for AOL Fixer-Upper
March 13, 2009

Struggling Internet portal America Online has tapped Google executive Tim Armstrong as its new chairman and chief executive officer, the company announced Friday. AOL, a division of Time Warner, also announced the departures of current AOL chairman and CEO Randy Falco and President and COO Ron Grant, both of whom were appointed just two years ago. Both men will leave the company after a brief transition period.

Microsoft Opens New Sluice for Celebrity Juice
February 06, 2009

Microsoft launched a beta version of a new celebrity gossip site Thursday called "Wonderwall.com." The new site is loaded with pictures of celebrities that visitors can click on to read news stories, features and commentary about the stars. The new site is designed to complement Microsoft's already substantial coverage of the celebrity and entertainment scene through its MSN portal.

Turnaround Scorecard: Obama's US, Stringer's Sony, and Bartz's Yahoo
February 02, 2009

We actually are seeing a large number of turnarounds going on in the industry, and all are overshadowed by President Obama's effort to turn around the country. Last week's vote on the stimulus package would indicate things aren't going well for Obama because, while it passed, all Republicans voted against it -- but it showcases the exact kind of problem Howard Stringer is having at Sony.

Can Carol Bartz Put the Yodel Back in Yahoo?
January 14, 2009

Struggling Internet portal Yahoo has tapped former AutoDesk CEO Carol Bartz as its new CEO. Bartz, 60, will face a monumental task in attempting to turn around Yahoo, which was the No. 1 destination on the Internet before being supplanted by search engine powerhouse Google a few years ago.

Yahoo Narrows CEO Search
January 12, 2009

Beleaguered Internet portal Yahoo is about to wrap up its search for a CEO to replace cofounder Jerry Yang. An announcement could come as soon as this week. Two candidates have emerged as the company's probable next leader: Carol Bartz, who is former CEO of AutoDesk; and Susan Decker, Yahoo's current president.

Yahoo Heaves 1,500 Overboard in Effort to Turn Ship Around
October 22, 2008

Just one day after saying it would slash its 15,000-employee workforce by 10 percent, struggling Internet giant Yahoo announced Wednesday that its profit dropped by a whopping 64 percent during the third quarter. It also announced that revenue would be lower than it had expected for the remainder of 2008 and told Wall Street that it was too early to make any financial projections for 2009.

iGoogle Limbers Up With New Flexibility Features
October 17, 2008

Google has rolled out a new, bigger viewing feature to its iGoogle custom home page builder app. iGoogle basically lets users select and move little gadgets -- which are miniature, modular applications that provide news feeds, comics, Gmail access, games, weather, movie listings, etc. -- anywhere they want on their iGoogle home pages.

Chrome's Tiny Market Share Dwindles as Experimenters Head Home
October 07, 2008

Google's new Web browser, Chrome, is key to the company's push to connect its myriad Web offerings and become an integrated online service provider. That said, writing it off a month after its release -- based partly on figures that show a decline in downloads -- seems more Schadenfreude than sober analysis.